House of Sun
by Write2Ntertain
Summary: What if things had gone differently when Sookie was trapped in the Moon Goddess Emporium? Will she be able to choose between Eric and Bill? Or will she end up all alone? True Blood and SVM spoilers. Rated M. Lots of language and lemons- later on.
1. Sucker Punch

**House of Sun**

**Note from the author:**

**This is my first shot at writing a fan fiction. I'm an avid reader but now it's my turn to take a shot. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. Spoilers for True Blood and Southern Vampire Mysteries to ensue. Rated M for a reason…I'll get there. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even a car. You have Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball to thank for implanting the seed of creation in my mind. You have god to thank for Alexander Skarsgard, although I wouldn't mind owning him at all.**

**On ward with the story, you say? Okay. Well, most of the shenanigans of season four of True Blood have happened. This story begins during the episode "Soul of Fire." Tara, Lafayette, Jesus, and Sookie are in the Moon Goddess Emporium with Mantonia and the Vamps have come to save the…night. **

Chapter 1:

"Antonia! Show your face, witch." Even though Bill was outside, we could hear him clearly and he was not asking. "Hiding behind magic like a coward does not become you!" His tone was ice cold and I could feel, through his recently replenished blood in me, that the time for games had come to an end.

I held my breath, waiting to see what Antonia would do, knowing that at any moment, either my vampires or Antonia could lose their cool, which would surely end in all of us dying. I knew that the situation was delicate and I hoped that Bill would proceed cautiously. I didn't think provoking her was the best way to get her to cooperate.

Antonia seemed lost in her own thoughts for just a moment before turning to me. "You're right. It's time for _negotiation_," she said, drawling out the last word with a sort of calm menace, a promise that she would use her powers if it came to that. She grabbed her coat before looking to me again, "The vampires seem to like you. Will you join me?"

I turned slightly to see Holly's reaction and when I caught a glimpse of hope coming from her, I knew this might be the only chance we would get to defeat Antonia. _My_ only chance. I flashed Holly a small smile and hoped it conveyed more confidence than I was feeling. Without giving it another thought, I turned on my heel and ran out the door.

"Bill," I yelled out to him as I opened the door. Standing with him were Jason, Jessica, Pam and, "Eric! She wants to negotiate with you." I caught Eric's eye and couldn't help the smile that graced my lips. He always managed to look even sexier than the previous time I saw him. My Gran would have smacked me on the head for thinking such dirty thoughts when I should be planning my next course of action. "I think we should let her speak," I said, hoping she would give me time to gather my energy. I tore my eyes away from Eric's to take in the scene around me.

All of the vampires and Jason were standing on the other side of the invisible barrier that Antonia had erected around the Moon Goddess Emporium. Bill was detaining a vampire I had never seen before, under his foot. I hadn't even noticed her before now and chided myself again for gawking at Eric for as long as I had. Pam, Jessica, and Jason were standing closer to the barrier than Bill and Eric. Everyone had turned their eyes on Antonia. Everyone, that is, except Eric, whose gaze found and lingered on mine once again.

In his eyes I saw My Eric, the Eric without his memories, the Eric I had given my heart to. I also saw something I had hoped I would never see from this Eric. He looked almost helpless. I tried to look away but I couldn't help being afraid in that moment and continued to search his eyes for some strength. That's when I resigned myself to pull on my big girl panties and do what needed to be done to get us out of this clusterfuck. The Stackhouse women were strong and didn't stand down when the people they loved were threatened. I would not back down. Ever. I closed my eyes and begin searching for the fairy inside of me, trying to will it to come forth.

Bill broke the silence first, "We will not negotiate with a necromancer. You are finished Antonia. I demand that you release your hold on Marnie, free ALL of the humans, and close down Moon Goddess, effective immediately. We will not allow you to go on killing our kind. You are surrounded. It's over." I opened my mind to scan for brain signatures, but the only ones I came across were the people being held captive within Moon Goddess.

_Are we ever goin' home? Mom is gonna be so pissed at me. I'll probably have to give her the keys back…_

_I hope Timmy and Nicky are okay. I wonder if Brad noticed the casserole I put in the fridge. I'll kill him if he took 'em to McDonalds…_

_SOOKIE! SOOKIE! It's Tara. If you can hear me, take a small step to your left. _I hadn't expected to hear Tara and my eyes flew open. I took the slightest of steps to the left, praying that Antonia didn't notice. She didn't, but the vampires did. Bill gave me the oddest look, somewhere between confused and frightened. Eric just looked curious. _Great, Sook. Now listen. Jesus and Lafayette are workin' on a spell to help y'all out. I think they are tryin' to take down the barrier so Bill and Eric can come in. Just keep her busy long enough for them to get the spell goin'…_

I was jerked back to reality when I "heard" someone else chanting in a different language that I couldn't quite identify. The horrified look on my brother's face is what made me turn to face Antonia. I was standing only a foot away and what I saw made my heart drop in my chest. Marnie's eyes were completely black and her hair was whipping about her face like she had her own personal wind machine. Her hands were down by her sides but her palms were turned out toward the vampires.

_Sook! Don't let that crazy bitch do nothin'! Lafayette and Jesus are almost done. You gotta distract her! _Tara thought at me and I answered out loud, "Fuck! What do I do?"

"Sookie! Get away from her!" Bill yelled at me at the same time his feet were pulled from under him and his attention was turned toward the vampiress that now had him by the throat. I lifted my hand, aimed it toward Bill's opponent, and reached inside of myself. I looked for my fairy magic and tried to tap into it. Nothing happened and I let my hand drop back down. Marnie/Antonia started to rise up off the ground and I decided I couldn't let her get too far away or there would be nothing I could do. I lifted my hand again, but this time I reared back and punched her in the side of the head as hard as I could. Marnie/Antonia went down like a ton of bricks.

**Please review! Should I continue? **


	2. Harness the Sun

**Nice to see y'all again! Thanks for coming back for more!**

**Writing again has been nice. I appreciate the nice reviews and I'm into this, so I don't think I could quit even if I wanted to. I also love constructive criticism, being that it will only improve my writing, so tell me what ya think, honestly. Also, I will try to post new chapters as fast as they come to me, but I have a 1yr old that demands most, if not all of my attention. So for y'alls sake, I hope she naps often. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own the thoughts in my head. That's all.**

Chapter 2:

I looked down at my hand, pretty sure that I had only bruised it. I gave it a good flex to make sure nothing was broken and looked up to see how Bill was faring. The vampiress now lay on her back with Bill on top of her again, but he had his knee on her chest. She was struggling and cursing like a sailor, but he seemed to have everything back under control. No one else had moved an inch and were all staring at me with nothing less than shock.

"What?" I asked. When no one said anything and continued to stare, I thought I hadn't been loud enough, which seemed ridiculous being that everyone but Jason had flawless hearing, but still I asked again, "WHAT?"

Jason cleared his throat. "Damn Sook. Nice right hook. You just punched that bitch in the head."

"Well, yeah…" was all I could think of to say. _Smart, Sookie, real smart_. I gave my head a little shake to clear my thoughts then looked directly at Eric. "Tara says Lafayette and Jesus are workin' on a spell to get rid of the magic surrounding this place. I had to keep her distracted for them to finish. It was all I could think of," I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

He responded with what I thought looked like a proud smile and I couldn't help but allow my lips to curl up slightly. I just couldn't stop staring at him, still hardly believing that the real Eric had told me that he loved me. Where did that leave us? I did still love Bill, and I had told Eric that I couldn't live in a world without either of them, but the chemistry between Eric and I was almost palpable whenever we were together.

His gaze changed from pride to hunger, hunger for something more than ogling, so fast I struggled for breath and blushed remembering the time we had spent together when he didn't have his memories. How his lips felt on mine, what he looked like with his shirt off, what he felt lik-…

"If y'all are done eye-fucking each other, we need to figure out what to do with the witch when she wakes up." That Pam- always so charming, with the impeccable ability to make me blush about twelve shades of red. I quickly looked at the ground in shame, knowing that the term Pam used was not a far cry from what I had been doing and hoping no one else had noticed our little exchange. Bill growled deeply at Pam, obviously jealous, and if my face could have turned any more crimson, it would have. Sometimes, I wish the Earth would open up and swallow me whole. The knowing smirk on Eric's face made this one of those times. I did the only thing I could and turned around to think of my next move.

Pam and Bill were bickering while loading the nameless vampire in to the Escalade I suppose they had come in, which didn't help me to think. _At least I don't have to look at Eric… and his beautiful body_... Gah! What was wrong with me? _ Shoot, Sook. Pull it together. You are not a teenage boy!___The wetness between my thighs was saying otherwise. Jessica and Jason were also talking but quietly enough that I couldn't hear them and I didn't try to listen in to Jason's head. I didn't want to know. I could feel Eric still staring at my back and it was a little more than unsettling.

Marnie/Antonia was lying in a heap at my feet and my first instinct was to tie her up with something. I went to the door and jiggled the handle but it was locked and I knew by more than a deadbolt. There was no way I was getting in. I peaked in through the curtains and through a small sliver could just make out Tara and Holly talking.

"I don't think this is gonna work. They been in there too long and Sook's gonna get killed if we don't do somethin'," Tara said heatedly.

Holly replied calmly, "Listen. We can just stand here and talk or we can go help Jesus. We can't open the doors so we gotta do what we can from in here. Maybe if we join forces we'll be strong enough to distract Antonia! Come on. Get everyone together. We gotta try."

They left the front room and I could no longer see them. I knew we had a few minutes more that Marnie/Antonia might be out, but not very much longer. Jesus and Lafayette were doing everything they could, I knew that, but I didn't think it would be enough. _Shit_. I turned around and walked over to the invisible barrier. The vamps were in a circle discussing plans, with Jason standing off to the side, but when he saw me he walked over to where I was, stopping directly in front of me.

"Hey Jase. You okay?" I asked and looked him over once for good measure. He seemed to be fine and I sighed, relieved.

He replied, with a genuine Jason Stackhouse smile, "Yeah, Sook. I'm fine. How bout you? How's your hand? I knew teachin' ya how to punch would come in handy one day!"

"Well I guess you were right," I said, returning that smile. "It'll probably bruise but I didn't break anything. Can you come through the barrier Jason?"

"No, I been tryin' all afternoon before all the vamps showed up," Jason said looking more than a little dejected. "There ain't no way in and I'm guessin' there ain't no fuckin' way out. What's the plan, Sook? Cause when that ho bag wakes up, she's gonna wanna beat your ass."

"Jason Stackhouse!" I gasped, completely shocked with my brother's language. "Gran would turn over in her grave hearin' you talk to me like that." I shook my head knowing that no matter what I said Jason was going to be Jason and he certainly was not going to stop cursing on my behalf.

"Sorry, Sook, but it's true. I'd beat your ass if I was her," he replied smartly under his breath, but I still heard it, and gave him a look that could kill. A look that I know Gran used to give Jason when he did something real bad, like when he crashed Grandaddy Earl's truck into the porch because he accidentally put it in reverse. Jason's eyes started to grow wide with sheer panic. _Man, I really have gotten that look down. Gran would be so proud,_ I thought to myself and smiled. It was when Jason didn't return my smile that I realized he wasn't looking at me at all, but right over my head. Faster than I could see, the vampires dispersed from their huddle. Bill and Eric flanked either side of Jason, and Pam and Jessica were within inches of their makers. All of them were looking behind me and I knew that Antonia was awake.

I froze out of fear as my hair began to whip around my head, just as Antonia's had before. I looked at everyone in front of me and they seemed to be untouched by this imaginary wind, which kept increasing by the second. I chanced a glance at Eric and his eyes were just as wide as Jason's, but glued on me. I gulped, gave Eric and Bill one last look each, to let them know that I would be fine, and spun around to face whatever was coming.

Antonia was floating three feet off the ground, her hair billowing out in all directions like earlier, but her eyes were normal and focused very intently on me. When I looked her in the eye, the wind around me stopped, but continued everywhere else, and Antonia slowly descended back to the ground. She took a few steps forward so that she was directly in front of me and spoke in heavily accented English, "Why do you fight for them? They will only bring death."

"I love him," was the only response that I could articulate. I really wasn't thinking straight. Who did I even mean?

Antonia gave me a strangely confused look then stated, "Then you have betrayed your kind and are no better than the demons you share your life with." And back-handed me so hard I stumbled right into the invisible barrier I had seen Jesus fight so hard to pass through. I didn't have the kind of magic he had and braced myself for pain.

As soon as I fell into it though, something else entirely happened. It didn't hurt at all. No, actually, it felt like my body was warming from the insides out. I could feel the magic swell within me and my skin started to glow. It began at my fingertips but soon spread up my arm. I would have put money on my entire body being lit up like a street lantern. The air around me felt like it was fizzing and popping with energy and I soon realized I felt great, and powerful. I knew what I had to do.


	3. It's Over, Witch

**Surprise! The juices are flowin' and I'm starting to get an idea of where I want to take this! Please keep the reviews comin!**

**Disclaimer: All rights to all characters belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. I'm just spinnin the records my way.**

Chapter 3:

I knew what I had to do. It's like my body's instincts told me that the energy in the air was there for my use. I just needed to think for a moment to figure out how to actually draw on it for the power I needed to stop Antonia. I needed to stall again. I used the best weapon I had and started screaming as if I was in agony and fell on the ground writhing. Eric practically roared at Antonia while Pam and Jessica held him back, and she shrunk back a little, but quickly regained her composure. Bill was kneeling down as close as he could to the barrier next to me, just trying to reach out for me. I wished in that moment that he could read my mind and know that everything was fine and that all of this would be over in a few moments. All I wanted him to do was to get everyone as far away from me as he could.

As if he actually heard what I was thinking, he grabbed Jason and at vampire speed ran him to where we had parked earlier this afternoon. I heard the truck start and knew that Jason would be fine. Bill had most likely sent him home and away from the fighting. I took a second to breathe and thanked Gran for watching out for him and asked her to do the same for me, before pretending to suffer again. Bill returned and whispered something in Eric's ear that caused him to cease struggling to get closer to Antonia.

"It's amazing," Antonia beamed. "Is it not? The sun. Harnessed." She hissed the last word.

The sun? Is that where my powers came from? Something to chew on later, but I needed to focus on the situation at hand. I decided to "pass out" to save energy and it was getting hard to listen and continue to moan, so I rolled over onto my stomach and closed my eyes. Antonia was so focused on the vampires that were now pacing around like lions waiting for lunch in a cage that I don't think she even noticed when I stopped making noise.

"If you have harmed her," Eric growled. "You will wish for death long before I allow you to have it."

"And what makes you believe that you shall live through this night, Vampiro?" Antonia scoffed back and started chanting again. The Escalade started shaking violently and then the back doors burst open and the vampiress prisoner ran directly into the barrier and exploded into a million tiny pieces. A part of her landed on my cheek and it took everything for me not to gag aloud.

It was now or never. I brought my arms up, wiped the vampire off my face, and braced to push off the ground. I would need to be quick. I jumped up and spun around to face Antonia. She was standing only feet from Eric. I had to get him to move away. I might be able to do this but I didn't know how much control I was liable to have. I closed my eyes and started to focus on gathering the energy within myself. I imagined the magic swirling, moving from anywhere I could gather it from, to my hands. I wanted to be able to focus it all at one point if I could. All at once, the vampires stopped in their tracks and turned to face Antonia. She had them under her control. I couldn't let what had just happened to the other vampire happen to anyone else.

"ANTONIA!" I yelled as loudly as I could. She whirled around to face me and shock was written in every line of her face. "This is over NOW! No one else is going to be hurt. It's time for you to GO!" I focused all of my energy through my hands. At first, the glow surrounding me just got brighter, but then I could feel heat flowing out from my palms and large arcs of light burst forth. I focused directly at Antonia. It only lasted for a few seconds and I could immediately tell that that would not be enough. I needed to gather energy again. The first spark only stunned Antonia and released all of the vampires from their trance. Out of the corner of my eye, I could clearly see all four mouths hanging open, "catchin' flies," as Gran would have said. It might have been funny if I wasn't in a fight for all of our lives.

I reached into myself again and began to pull that same energy to the surface. I knew it wouldn't be as strong this time, but I wasn't trying to kill Marnie, I just wanted to disconnect Antonia from her body. I took a few steps toward her and pushed for my magic to come to the surface again. Again, I aimed it at Antonia and with all of my might willed her to leave Marnie's body. After about ten seconds, I couldn't hold it any longer and crumpled to the ground with exhaustion. I lifted my head and it was my turn for my jaw to hit the ground. A beautiful woman, who looked Spanish, was standing next to Marnie.

"Antonia," slipped out as no more than a whisper from my mouth and she turned to look at me. If I thought my Gran had a look that killed, I was proven wrong in that moment.

Before she could speak, though, the doors to the Moon Goddess flew open to reveal Lafayette holding hands with Jesus. They were chanting so quickly I couldn't catch what they were saying and neither of them had their eyes open. Antonia began to shake and scream and one second she was there and then she was just gone and so was the sun barrier. Something flashed by me and I heard Marnie squeal. I felt completely drained then and started to fall down to the pavement, but before my head could smack, a pair of cool hands caught me. I turned my head to see Bill with wide eyes and a concerned smile.

"It's okay, Bill," I started dreamily. "We got her. I used the sun, Bill. It was so warm…"

"Shh, Sookie, just rest," he replied. "We'll talk when we get you home. Then you must tell me how I was able to hear you…"

"Oh, Bill, you did hear me!" I squealed in excitement and then completely regretted it. My head was no longer warm, but on fire and I felt nauseous. I turned my head to see what had happened to Marnie and was surprised to find Eric standing just beside me looking down on us. He kneeled down by my side and brought his hand to my cheek. I leaned into him just very slightly and closed my eyes. Bill flinched behind me.

"Are you hurt?" Eric asked. I opened my eyes and shook my head as much as I could manage, not being able to speak any longer. I felt tears starting to form and willed them not to fall but couldn't stop one from rolling down my face to the tip of my nose. Eric took his thumb, wiped the tear away, and using vamp speed, licked it off of his finger. I watched as his eyes dilated and a small smile spread across his face, before he leaned down and placed a fluttering kiss on each of my eyelids. It was a wonderfully tender moment only screwed up by the fact that my head was now in Bill's lap.

I cleared my throat and croaked out, "Pam? Jessica?"

Bill answered, "I sent Jessica to fetch your brother and Pam is currently glamoring all humans that won't be a danger to anyone in the future." I nodded. There was nothing I could do for anyone right now anyway. Their fates were to be decided tonight. I just hoped Bill would turn everyone over to the human police and let them handle it.

Jason's truck came to a stop right next to us and Eric put one arm under my back and the other behind my knees and before anyone could protest, lifted me. My arms were too heavy to move so I just let him carry me like a ragdoll to the passenger's side and deposit me carefully into the seat. He leaned in to buckle my seat and I caught his lips with mine as he pulled back. He held them there for a moment, not pushing for anything else. I pulled back just a little and breathed a small "thank you" at him before closing my eyes and laying my head back. I was asleep before the door closed.


	4. The Man in White

**Hey y'all. Sorry it took me a few days. I didn't really know where I wanted to take this and needed some inspiration. Plus, I kept getting lost thinking about all the lemons I want to write and got ahead of myself. Took my baby girl on a picnic at the park, got lost in my Sookie world and came up with this…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I just like daydreaming about them… especially Mr. Northman.**

**I'll try to keep the chapters comin, but y'all give me an idea of what ya think so far. I know- lots of unanswered questions and short chapters, but they will increase in size as I feel certain things need to be dealt with. Enjoy. **

Chapter 4:

_I was standing in the most beautiful meadow I had ever seen. The ground was mossy but the entire area was covered in wildflowers. The vines growing through everything and up the trees seemed to swirl with an unseen magic. There were little birds chattering their music to each other. A brook ran though and the sound of the water seemed to blend with the music from above, creating an almost blissful serenade. Everything was bathed in bright sunlight, but it wasn't hot. I looked down and I was wearing a dress that looked more expensive than anything I could afford, ever. It was strapless and the bodice fit me like a glove, pushing my cleavage up just so it looked extremely sexy, but not overstated. It shimmered and sparkled in the sunlight, giving off a radiant glow. The skirt was very full and bunched where it was gathered and secured with what looked like little clusters of diamonds. The whole thing was ivory and far fancier than any wedding dress I had seen. It looked heavy, but when I spun around I realized it was light as a feather and I moved effortlessly in it. It was almost as if the dress were made completely for me. There was a delicate silver chain around my neck with a pendant on the end. The silver seemed to move like the vines, swirling, and winding it's self around a glass ball about the size of a marble. Or so I thought it was glass, but when I touched it, it lit up brightly and I felt magic stir within me. Somehow, I knew that this necklace _had_ been made for me. _

_Before I had time think about it any further, I felt a void and immediately scanned the perimeter of the meadow, searching for the source. When he stepped out of the tree line, I knew it was Bill. He looked extremely handsome in a black suit, with a thin black tie and stark white shirt. He was looking at me with lust filled eyes and I can't deny that I felt sexy as hell. He didn't move beyond the tree line, instead he mouthed the words, "Sookie. Come to me." Without being able to stop myself, I began to walk toward him. _

"_Bill, how are you in the sun?" I asked._

"_I can walk in the sun with you, my little fairy," he said softly. "You have the light."_

"_Bill, why can't I stop walkin' toward you? And what do you mean you can walk in the sun? Drinkin' my blood only lasts for a few minutes."_

_Suddenly, he was right in front of me and I gasped at his nearness. His face was only inches from mine when he spoke, "Not if you give me your light, Sookie." He closed the distance between our lips and kissed me, slow and sweet. He moved from my lips to my chin and down my jaw line, placing light kisses here and there, avoiding the silver. "You are mine, Sookie."_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"_No," said a familiar voice from somewhere behind me. "She is mine. Get away from her Compton." Of course. Eric. Bill didn't stop, instead abandoning my shoulder and moving his mouth to the tops of my breasts and proceeding to ravage them and my eyes closed with ecstasy. _

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_I opened my eyes and looked around trying to see where the noise had come from. What I saw was a man dressed all in the same kind of material that I was in, except his was an exquisite tuxedo and he was carrying a large staff with a ball on top that mirrored the one on my necklace, but his was the size of a softball. He was very handsome and tall and seemed to be watching our little rendezvous with intrigue and suspicion. I reached out for his brain, there was nothing but static, so he must have been supernatural. He looked very regal and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, not even when I heard Bill's fangs descend with a *click.* The man in white visibly stiffened then tapped his staff lightly on the ground three times. _

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Bill was inches from striking my left breast when the pendant around my neck started sizzling with energy and emitted a bright, blinding white light. It filled the entire meadow and it was almost as if it filled me too. It was warm and I felt safe, but as quick as it appeared, it was gone once more. It took me a moment to realize my eyes never closed, leaving me wondering if I would have normal eyesight after that. Bill wasn't in front of me anymore, so I looked around for him. Truly, it was like he just disappeared… or worse. I looked down at the ground to find a small pile of ash. I started to panic and turned around, looking for the place I had heard Eric from. He was standing a few feet behind me, with wide eyes, yet he seemed unharmed. He was dressed in the exact suit Bill had been in, but somehow I don't think Bill was wearing it right. Eric looked good enough to eat and I hoped we would get to that soon. I let a sigh slip out and he smiled so genuinely, I felt my heart skip a beat. He was in front of me before it had a chance to start again, with his hand on my cheek, tilting my head to look up at him. He started to lean in to kiss me and…_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My eyelids were extremely heavy but I didn't want to hear one more second of my alarm clock. I opened one eye, noticed it was daylight, and released an extremely unladylike groan. I was just starting to get excited about my dream. I then felt remorseful for not giving Bill's death much more than a passing glance. I knew it had been a dream, but at the same time, felt completely real. I wanted to know more about the man in white. Who was he and why was a complete stranger invading my dreams? He had seemed oddly familiar. Where were we? I definitely couldn't remember ever being somewhere so beautiful. And what was with the light up jewelry? I automatically put my hand to my neck only to be disappointed not to find the delicate chain there. _Glow sticks,_ I thought to myself and rolled onto my back with a giggle. Everything from my toes to my temples was sore and I was still in the clothes I had been in last night, minus my shoes and cardigan. I looked at the alarm clock and was shocked to see that it was already five thirty in the afternoon. I had slept most of the day away and more importantly had missed the lunch shift at Merlotte's. I had just started back at work after being gone for a whole year. This wasn't the way to get back into Sam's good graces. I went to pick up my cell phone and call Sam to apologize, but stopped when I saw a note tucked underneath it.

**Sookie,**

**I hope you are feeling better after your encounter with the Witch. I do believe that we have some things to discuss. I will be by tonight at eight. Be ready, we will go out. Or stay in, your choice.**

**Yours,**

**Eric**

I don't know why but I felt the heat rising up my neck and I felt dizzy. I laid my head back down on the pillow and stared at the card I was holding. Did Eric Northman just ask, well more like command, me out on a date? Well, I'll be damned. 


	5. Hot Diggity Dog

**This has turned out to be a difficult chapter. I wrote it several different ways, before finally getting it where I wanted. I hope you like. Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews! It blows my mind that you are not only reading my story, but like it! I like it too! Well, allons-y! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any characters. **

Chapter 5:

"Hey, Sam, listen, I'm sorry 'bout not bein' there for my shift today. I was in Shreveport last night and," I paused because I really hadn't expected for Sam's phone to go to voicemail, so I didn't know quite what to say. "Well, just call me, okay, and maybe we can get together and talk, or something. Okay. Bye." Sam was normally pretty understanding with me, but maybe I had pushed him too far this time. It wasn't like him to not answer his phone. I decided to make a stop by Merlotte's tomorrow, even though it was my day off, to apologize to Sam in person.

I turned my attention back to the card that Eric had left for me. I wondered if he had carried me up to my room or come by later in the night. I didn't really remember much after I got into Jason's car, but I think that I kissed Eric, right there in front of everyone. It wasn't a very sensual kiss, just a reassurance of my safety. Whether it was Eric or I that needed the reassurance, I'm not quite sure, maybe a little of both. Now, he was asking me out for the night. The real Eric, a mix of the gentle, sweet man I fell in love with and the 1,000 year old ruthless vampire that I had come to hate at times, wanted to go out on a completely normal date, with _me_. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I felt the beginnings of a headache and resigned to stop thinking about tonight and to get on with my day. Well, afternoon, seeing as how I had slept most of the day away. Shower and dress now, fret later, and maybe throw in some toast and coffee.

By seven o'clock, I was showered and shaved, but I couldn't decide what to wear. I wasn't sure what kind of impression I wanted to give Eric. I had found it impossible not to think of him- in the shower, in my bed, kissing me and loving me like only someone of his age and experience could. I had replayed him saying those three little words in my head, on a constant loop, for the past hour and a half and yet I still hadn't resolved anything. Just because we loved each other didn't mean we had to be in a relationship right away, did it? I needed to work out my feelings for Bill before I gave myself completely to Eric, again. I was scared that now that he had those memories back that he wouldn't want me the same way he had, or he would resent me for giving in to my desires like that. He was a gorgeous man, and he knew it, so how could he truly have feelings for me, an average waitress from the backwoods of Louisiana? I wasn't sure that I could trust Eric now that he was himself. He had deceived me so many times before and sold me out to Russell Edgington, that it was hard to believe that he could change. Then again, I had seen a totally different side to him on that roof when Godric met the true death and I saw how much love Eric had held for his maker. Was it possible that I could share some of that love that was stored up inside of him? What if he rejected me and locked those feelings back up forever?

Finally, I made up my mind not to dress too sexy, but I did still want Eric to think I looked good. Surely, he would look amazing- always did. I picked out a pretty sundress- they are kind of my thing- that hugged my curves in all the right places and flared out a little at the bottom. It was a red halter dress that was a little shorter than I was used to wearing, but I had found it on sale, and put on a pair of red lace boyshorts that accented my tan nicely, and made me feel more comfortable about the length. The dress had a built in bra that pushed my breasts together giving me an ample amount of cleavage. Finishing off with some red and tan cork wedge heels and a long, thin silver chain (hey, you could never be too careful when hanging around Vampires!) with a small crescent moon pendant that dangled right at the top of my breasts, I turned to survey my work in the mirror. I had to admit that I looked pretty darn good. I pulled my hair half-up and pinned it with an old clip that Gran had worn many times for Sunday brunch after going to church. Thinking of Gran still hurt a lot and as I traced my fingers along the intricate weaving of the pin, I felt a pang of despair in my heart. I could feel tears well in my eyes, but stopped myself from crying so that my makeup wouldn't run.

I still had about a half hour until Eric was supposed to arrive, but I made my mind up to wait out on the porch swing and to lock the front door to be sure we ended up going out for our "date." I hadn't forgotten what he had said about staying in, but I wanted to take it slow with this Eric. There was so much we needed to talk about and we hadn't had a chance to be alone in private since before going to the Moon Goddess Emporium. I grabbed my purse, cell phone, keys, a thin, white cardigan and my copy of Jane Austen's "Emma" and walked out the door. I was halfway over the threshold when I sensed two other brain signatures near, and I could tell by the way their thoughts were all fuzzy that they were were-animals. What kind I had no idea, but I didn't want to wait around to ask, so I turned on my heel, closed the door, latched the chain, grabbed my shotgun out of the closet and ran upstairs to my bedroom, locking that behind me as well. The sun didn't set for another fifteen minutes, but I needed to do something and I didn't have a direct number for Eric, so I did the next best thing and dialed Fangtasia. At least I could get a message to him to come as soon as he possibly could.

"Thank you for calling Fangtasia," the voice over the phone began in a bored tone. "The bar with a bite. You got Ginger. What can I do ya for? "

"Oh my god! Ginger," I breathed a sigh of relief that someone I knew had answered, but then panicked a little at the thought that Ginger may not the best person to be asking for help. I ran into the bathroom, but that door hadn't locked for as long as I could remember. I was just trying to hide as far away as I could. They would be able to smell me as soon as they got into the house. "Ginger! It's Sookie Stackhouse. I need you to do somethin' for me. I need to get a message to Eric as soon as he wakes up. Can you do that Ginger?"

"Well, the Master really don't like to be bothered when he wakes up…"

"Ginger!" I half yelled into the phone before remembering to be as quiet as possible. "Just tell Eric to get to my house as soon as he can. There are some weres outside," and as soon as the words left my mouth, I heard a thunderous crash and the breaking of glass and I knew my door was no longer there. I yelped a bit and pleaded again, "Ginger I just need you to make Eric come. Please."

She responded, "Sure, sugar, I'll tell him when he gets up."

I hung up the phone, slipped off my shoes, and started looking around for weapons and tried to figure out some sort of plan. I had some silver bangles sitting on the sink and slid them on, knowing that werewolves at least were sensitive to it. I didn't know about other weres, but it was worth a shot. The only other thing I could find was my curling iron, which I plugged in and turned on high, silently praising myself for picking out one that heated up fairly quickly. I knew there was no way to get down from the window and I would probably break something trying, but I unlocked the window and opened it wide. At the very least, Eric might be able to get to me through there. I looked out at the sky and saw that it was beginning to darken and prayed that I would live for the next few minutes until someone could help me.

I heard a familiar female voice call from the bottom of the stairs, "Are you here, you little bitch? I'm gonna rip your fuckin' throat out!" It was Debbie Pelt and she did not sound like the sweet girl that had helped me get to the tolerance festival. Why the fuck would she be after me? She seriously wouldn't betray Alcide like this… unless she had started doing V again. Damn it to hell. I grabbed the shotgun and racked a round at the same time that someone busted into my room. I jumped at the noise, but held my breath. I could hear footsteps coming closer to the door and they stopped right outside.

"Oh, Sookie," Debbie began sweetly, "I know you're in there. Why don't you come out so we can talk?"

I became irate and couldn't hold my tongue any longer, "Fuck you, Debbie! I've had enough of you!" Without giving it another thought, I fired two slugs through the door and lunged forward to grab my hot curling iron. The bathroom door was torn open and a giant gray wolf jumped through the opening. It lunged at me and caught my wrist, wrapping its jaw around the silver bangles. Its teeth pierced my skin and I screamed at the pain, before jabbing the hot iron into the wolf's ear. It jumped off of me and yelped and whined while pawing at its ear and mouth. I ran out of the bathroom and tripped right over Debbie laying face down on the ground, with blood slowly puddling around her. I landed on the arm that the wolf had bitten and cried out in pain once more. I tried to stand, but slipped on the accumulating blood on the floor, so instead started to crawl towards my bedroom door, when suddenly Debbie's hand wrapped around my ankle and ripped my leg out from under me, causing me to fall forward onto my chin. I reared back with my other leg and kicked her as hard as I could in the face, but her grip just got tighter. There would be some serious bruising if I got out of this alive.

I heard an earth shattering thud outside and one second the doorway was empty, and the next it was filled with a certain Viking taking in everything before him. I caught his eye but before I could ask for his help, he was gone and so was Debbie's hand from my ankle. I heard a sickening crunch and turned to see Eric throw Debbie's lifeless body out of the open bathroom window before stomping on the wolf's head and throwing it out like yesterday's trash as well. I felt a bit woozy and laid my head down on the floor. I could see Eric's shadow walking toward me in the light of the bathroom, but everything started fading away and I lost consciousness. Before I went out I could have sworn I heard Eric ask, "Sookie? Lover? Are you okay?"

**SO? What do y'all think?**


	6. Wake up call

**Sorry for the delay with this one! I hope I make up for it with this chapter. I was distracted by ****Deadlocked****, my child, visiting various family members, blah, blah, blah. On with it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to these characters. They just come over for play-dates sometimes. (Yeah. I wish!) **

Chapter 6:

When I came to, the light from the bathroom was still the only light on. I was on my back, on my bed, in nothing but my lacy, red underwear. Eric had kindly pulled a sheet over me, though I'm not sure why he had bothered. I definitely knew that this Eric, the one with his memories, would love nothing more than to have me naked on my bed. He wasn't touching me- well, not exactly touching me. He was sitting beside me, with his hands on either side of my shoulders and he was lazily licking my chin, _the way a cat cleans her kittens_, I thought, obviously delirious from the evening's attack. My body shook with laughter and Eric froze for a moment before bringing his face up to mine, our noses almost touching. I noticed something shift in the air between us and my smile dropped, just as Eric's fangs snapped down with a click. I was nervous and excited- Eric Northman was in my bed, with my _naked_ body pinned beneath him, and if I just leaned forward a bit….

"I need you to remove the silver on your wrist," Eric breathed on my lips in no more than a whisper, "so I can heal your wounds." I couldn't speak, so I just nodded my head. He straightened his arms to give me space and I relaxed enough to breathe, but only slightly. I tried to pick up the arm that was bitten but it seemed heavier than I remember it being, so I used my good hand to slide the silver off of my wrist and finally took a look at it. I winced at the sight of blood and mangled flesh and felt a tear flow down my cheek. Eric gingerly grabbed my injured hand and leaned down to start cleaning the wounds. The vision of his head bobbing up and down had my heart racing and I knew he could sense it. Hey- what's a girl to do when a gorgeous Viking is giving her his undivided attention? My breathing was starting to pick up and I couldn't rationalize how I was getting so worked up when all he was doing was licking my arm.

I needed to do something to calm down but I couldn't form any sort of coherent thought. My mind was telling me to stop but my body was remembering how well Eric could _tend_ to me and squelching any demands from my brain. Eric finished cleaning the dried blood off my arm and dragged his tongue over the puncture wounds to seal them. He brought his face back to mine, perched just over my lips again and I closed my eyes in anticipation of what was to come. After a few moments of waiting though, nothing happened and I curiously opened my eyes. Eric was still hovering over me, staring at my lips like a starving lion, yet not moving in for the kill. If I leaned forward just an inch, our lips would connect and I could be lost in him. Was it what I wanted? If I kissed him, surely something more was bound to happen. I gulped. Just thinking about being with Eric now that he had his memories had me on the verge of a panic attack. Yes, he was gorgeous and probably the best sex I would ever have or could dare to imagine, but what if that was all he wanted out of me now? I would not _yield_ to him without knowing that he cared for me as more than a bloodbag that doubled as a good lay. Then again, I wouldn't be completely yielding to him if I just kissed him as a thank you for saving my life, would I?

"Eric," I paused for a second, attempting to steady my breathless, shaky voice and waiting on his eyes to meet mine, "thank you for coming for me." I looked down at his lips, then back up, before slowly raising my head up off the pillow. Just before my lips connected with his, I paused, pondering my decision one last time. Eric's eye's never left mine as I pressed forward with my decision clearly made. Just as my lips found his, he stiffened and pulled back. _Oh my god! He's rejecting me, _was all I could think. I felt myself begin to blush at my brazen attitude and started grabbing at the sheet in an attempt to make a run for it to my bathroom, where I could have a proper meltdown. What was I thinking? There was far too much Eric and I had to figure out before we took that physical step. I chalked it up to a major loss of blood and decided to forgo any more embarrassment by getting as far away from him as was possible.

I sat up, pulling the sheet around me, and moved to put my feet on the floor. Before I could, at a faster speed than I could catch, Eric slipped an arm around my waist and pulled my back to his chest. His free hand slid up over my shoulder to my neck and pushed my hair away, leaving my neck exposed. I felt extremely vulnerable and totally turned on. I was deaf to anything but the pounding of my heart. He leaned his head into the crook of my neck, and inhaled, breathing in my scent. He then kissed right below my ear and my entire body turned hot from the sensation.

He remained there for only an instant then whispered in my ear, "_This_ is not over." His voice was a husky and dripping with lust. I was practically panting at this point, having lost all shame to my desire. "Get dressed and come downstairs," he continued. "There are some… matters we need to discuss and I am afraid we are no longer alone." I thought I could hear disappointment in his words, but when I turned to look at his expression, he had already left the room. I stared at the empty wall for what seemed like a very long time, but it was probably no more than five minutes.

Eventually, I regained sense of myself and moved to stand, but swayed a little from the loss of blood and had to sit back down. A strange thought occurred to me. I licked my lips and my suspicion was confirmed. Eric hadn't forced me to take his blood and he hadn't even offered me any while he was cleaning my wounds. I wondered why. Eric had certainly always jumped at the opportunity to get his blood inside me. _Something to mull over later,_ I told myself and worked my way to the bathroom, using the nightstand to help and turned on the light. I noticed that I must have been out for a little while because Eric had managed to wipe the floor clean of blood, remove my bathroom door, along with all of the splinters, and board up my window. After a quick (cold!) shower, I stripped the sheets off my bed and placed a new set out to change later. I threw on a pair of jean shorts and a plain black v-neck tee, but decided not to wear shoes. I had been so absorbed in my thoughts about Eric that I hadn't really noticed how badly it hurt, but I knew it wasn't broken because I had been on it for the last few minutes without even knowing. It was definitely bruised though and starting to swell. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and gave myself a once-over in the mirror, nodding my approval. _It'll do for a girl who was just mauled by a werewolf! _I thought and made my way slowly down the stairs.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

When I turned into the living room, I don't know what I had been expecting, but what I found was not at all what I was ready for. Pam was duct-taping Alcide Herveaux, who seemed to be unconscious, to one of my dining room chairs at vampire speed.

"PAM," I yelled and started toward her, but winced when I stepped too heavily on my bruised foot and decided to continue my assault from a chair. As I hobbled my way there, I continued angrily, "What the hell are you doing? Alcide is on our side, remember?" I sat and felt some of the pressure relieve on my foot. I caught Pam's eye, "Let. Him. Go."

Suddenly, Pam was right in front of me, one arm on each armrest, with her face just inches from mine, much like Eric only a few minutes early. This time, I was completely the opposite of aroused and cowered back into the chair as far as it would allow. Her fangs were extended and she looked menacing as hell.

"You should learn to hold your tongue, _Sookie," _Pam hissed my name in disgust. "Or perhaps… we could find something more useful for you to do with it." I held my breath as she leaned in leisurely and very lightly swept her tongue over my bottom lip. I was too scared to move but I could feel my blood begin to boil with rage. I was about to say something completely stupid and definitely something I would regret, but then Pam moved her tongue to my chin and licked it quickly. "_Mmm_, missed a spot," she purred and winked (really!?) at me before turning back to her task of tying Alcide up. I was stunned, and angry, but frozen in place. What on earth was up with everyone tonight? I couldn't tear my eyes away from the unconscious Alcide, but for once listened to that little voice telling me not to say anything. Well, okay, the little voice and Pam. She was most likely doing this at Eric's bidding and he must have had a good reason for it. Eric never did anything without good reason. _Wait. What? When did I come to that conclusion?_

Speak of the devil; Eric strode, because that is the only appropriate term for the way he walks, into the room like he owned the place. Which, I suppose, he did. Oh my god. I had just been debating having sex with him and he still owned my house. I had almost given him exactly what he wanted- everything. _Ugh, sometimes, Sookie, you're about as sharp as a marble!_ I mentally scolded myself, took a deep breath, and turned on Eric with narrowed eyes.

"Would _you_ like to tell me what is going on? Why the hell is Pam tying Alcide to one of my chairs?" I asked him, proud of how steady my voice sounded.

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